The Communications Minister claims we are the global leaders when it comes to rolling out broadband.

Denis Naughten says no other country in the world is trying to bring high-speed broadband to every single home and premises.

His comments follow the news that Eir - one of the two remaining bidders for the broadband contract - pulled out of the race yesterday amid claims that the process was too complicated.

But Minister Naughten says their withdrawal will make the rollout faster and says we are setting an international example.

He said: "We are the global leaders in what we are doing, no other country in the world in doing what we are attempting to do.

"One of the founders of the internet said that what we are doing here is going to set the benchmark for the globe and that every country across the world is looking at us."

Richard Moat, Eir.

The head of Eir meanwhile has denied there is a hidden reason for withdrawing its bid for the national broadband contract.

CEO Richard Moat is rejecting claims that Eir's new French owner does not want to take on such a difficult task.

He said: "There is no hidden reason, we have been involved in this process since the start and we went into it wanting to win as much as we possibly could.

"But over time the process has become very complex, the contract has become increasingly onerous and when you combine those factors with factors which are external to the process then we couldn't make a positive business case."

A teacher who ordered five primary schoolgirls to sellotape their own mouths for chatting and giggling in class was properly removed for professional misconduct from the Teaching Council of Ireland’s Register of Teachers, the High Court has ruled.